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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25163698">Long awaited</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenyafinwe/pseuds/Elenyafinwe'>Elenyafinwe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Elrond in Aman [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works &amp; Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Best Friends, F/M, Family, Fourth Age, Friendship, Gen, One Shot, Valinor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 05:07:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,986</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25163698</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenyafinwe/pseuds/Elenyafinwe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Life runs in quiet tracks in Valinor, changes are a rare event. But every now and then you still come across them and then they are all the more surprising. Elrond at least hadn't really expected his old friend Gil-galad to suddenly appear at his door.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Celebrían/Elrond Peredhel, Elrond Peredhel &amp; Ereinion Gil-galad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Elrond in Aman [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/402919</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Long awaited</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            A translation of

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/5941167">Lang ersehnt</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elenyafinwe/pseuds/Elenyafinwe">Elenyafinwe</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="western">Life was different in Eldamar, slower, but not slower or more ponderous. Time lost its meaning here, in the Undying Lands of Aman, for what use was it if you had eternity? This was the land of the gods of this world, this is where their power, their glory and their splendour resided. Suffering, sorrow and pain were easier to bear here and were finally alleviated.</p><p class="western">Elrond and Celebrían led a pleasant and tranquil life a little away from the city on a small estate. After Celebrían had reached these lands, she had sought a livelihood and established this tranquil fruit plantation. Now that Elrond had joined her, he had also become involved in the work here.</p><p class="western">It was a completely different life from what he was used to in Lindon and Rivendell, but it was a pleasant one, a simple one. Apart from Ceomon and Rethtulu, his two friends, they employed only a cook and two maids who helped Celebrían. They had been lords long enough, now Elrond lived the life he had always felt called to live.</p><p class="western">The day gradually drew to a close. Dawn was setting in and the last rays of sunshine fell warm on the veranda in front of the manor house. Arm in arm, Elrond and Celebrían sat on the veranda and enjoyed the passing light of the day. She had laid her head on his shoulder and smiled pensive while he stroked her back. Inner peace spread. Some birds were chirping, but everything else was quiet.</p><p class="western">So life could go on forever and it did.</p><p class="western">Sometimes Elrond wondered where he had been all his life. All the great deeds of his past seemed so trivial against the simplicity and easiness of this life. He still wore Vilya, even though the ring was now only an object of memory, without any power at all and only with a symbolic value. But beyond that hardly anything else reminded of the lord he had once been.</p><p class="western">Suddenly Celebrían flinched, but the very next moment she laughed up and put her hands on her swollen belly.</p><p class="western">"The little one is already kicking very hard," she laughed.</p><p class="western">Elrond smiled. "I've told him so often not to kick his mum," he joked.</p><p class="western">"The influence of your upbringing, I tell you!" threatened Celebrían. "Not even in the world and already you've spoiled him!"</p><p class="western">"I'm not such a bad father," he was indignant and gave her a nudge on the nose. "The twins and Arwen finally became something too!"</p><p class="western">She laughed. "The question is, what?"</p><p class="western">He snorted. "Hmph."</p><p class="western">That was when Ceomon stepped out onto the porch and broke through the little family idyll. "<em>Herinya</em>, <em>herunya</em>," he greeted them with a slight bow of his head. "We have a visitor."</p><p class="western">Elrond looked at him in astonishment. "Who has come to see us? We don't usually have visitors."</p><p class="western">Ceomon smiled impishly. "See for yourselves" was his vacuous reply. " Your visitor is waiting at the front door."</p><p class="western">"Oh, a surprise," said Celebrían. "Come on, <em>mainanya</em>, let's see who's come."</p><p class="western">He helped her up and hand in hand they went around the outside of the house. Ceomon followed them, smiling inside. Elrond looked suspiciously over his shoulder, for he knew that such a smile could never mean anything good. But Ceomon just shrugged his shoulders and his smile grew wider.</p><p class="western">She was indeed expecting a surprise, and one that Elrond had not expected. On the threshold of their home stood a quite young, black-haired Noldo, dressed in a shimmering silver breastplate with a red cape over it.</p><p class="western">Elrond could not believe his eyes and stopped abruptly. The newcomer turned to them, his grey eyes flashing in amusement.</p><p class="western">"Galad?", Elrond whispered, as if this spirit could disappear as soon as he spoke louder. "Is it really you?"</p><p class="western">A wide grin spread unstoppably across Gil-galad's face. With arms outstretched, he joined his friend and former herald. "So we meet again!" he exclaimed. "It's good to see you!"</p><p class="western">Laughing, they fell around each other's necks. Elrond wept tears of joy when he could finally see his friend who had died so long ago. He couldn't believe his luck. How he had missed Gil-galad and all his quirks and jokes! He could not describe it at all.</p><p class="western">"It's good to see you again, <em>enwina sermo</em>," he said, beaming all over his face. It was unusual to look <em>down</em> at Gil-galad, but that would surely change in a few years of the sun.</p><p class="western">Gil-galad grinned widely. Then he squinted at Celebrían. Slowly an eyebrow rose and a mischievous glint entered his eyes.</p><p class="western">"Say nothing," Elrond threatened playfully.</p><p class="western">"Not me!" Gil-galad played the part of innocence. Then he turned to Celebrían, took her hand and breathed a chaste kiss on it. "<em>Elen síla lúmenn' omentiëlvo, arnis</em>," he greeted her.</p><p class="western">She curtsied. "<em>Aranya</em>," she returned the greeting.</p><p class="western">"Oh, not so formal, I don't have that title anymore," he waved. "Unfortunately I haven't really been able to pay my respects to you yet, Lady Celebrían. I tried to do so after the siege of Barad-dûr, but I never got the chance. Apparently my help was not needed after all. The last was greeted with a teasing glance at Elrond, who scowled at his friend.</p><p class="western">"Shall I bring tea?" Ceomon interfered with the reunion of the two friends and, in order to spare Elrond further sideways blows, at least for the moment. "Or would you prefer a fruit brandy?"</p><p class="western">"Well, if so, then the latter," commented Gil-galad. "Your estate is said to yield very good harvests, I have heard, and yet I assume that the fruit brandy was distilled from your own harvest?"</p><p class="western">"Nothing else!" confirmed Elrond, not without a certain pride in his voice. "Sun-ripened and harvested with love straight from the branch!"</p><p class="western">"You would make a very fine businessman, <em>sermo</em>," commented Gil-galad.</p><p class="western">Elrond shrugged his shoulders. "But come, let us sit a little, and it will tell you better."</p><p class="western">That was how they held it. They went around the back of the house to the veranda. Elrond quickly pushed a small wooden table and several chairs into the sun, then they sat down. Ceomon returned shortly thereafter. He carried a tray with two carafes and three goblets on it. For Elrond and Gil-galad he had brought an apple brandy, for Celebrían spring water, for he knew that in times of special circumstances she did not drink alcohol. Quickly the drinks were poured and people toasted each other.</p><p class="western">"To our friendship," Gil-galad said.</p><p class="western">"To our friendship!" Elrond confirmed.</p><p class="western">"And of course, to your beauty never fading, Celebrían," added Gil-galad. "Pregnancy suits you well."</p><p class="western">Celebrían thanked him with a smile, but Elrond cleared his throat while waiting.</p><p class="western">"Galad, this is my wife you are trying to steal from me!" Of course it was only a joke.</p><p class="western">"Indo-ninya, you know I would never give preference to any other man than you," she smiled. "You are far too cute for that!"</p><p class="western">With such a look she gave him, Elrond couldn't help but agree with her, smiling and completely will-less. Gil-galad watched with a smile.</p><p class="western">"What happens when I am gone," he commented. "When did you get married?"</p><p class="western">"Early in the Third Age, perhaps a hundred years after the siege ended," Elrond replied.</p><p class="western">"And even for that, Mother had to tease him!", Celebrían revealed.</p><p class="western">Elrond grumbled something incomprehensible. He hated to be reminded of it.</p><p class="western">Gil-galad grinned broadly and looked at him. "I can really imagine that about you, though. "When I think how long you hesitated to approach your sweet Chosen One."</p><p class="western">Celebrían giggled. Elrond's grumbling became more discontented.</p><p class="western">"Galadriel had snooped around in my thoughts, I really can't help that! She knows very well that this is not at all decent!"</p><p class="western">"Oh, Elrond, sometimes you really are a bit odd - but at least you have hardly changed at all," Gil-galad said. "And look at it this way: Lady Galadriel has helped you to find such a wonderful woman. How many children do you have, may I ask?"</p><p class="western">"The fourth, and you may always ask," Elrond replied.</p><p class="western">"Oh, hard at work. And where are the other three rascals?"</p><p class="western">Immediately the mood became noticeably cooler, and it was clear to see that Gil-galad rebuked himself inwardly for this question.</p><p class="western">"They did not come with me," Elrond said softly.</p><p class="western">"Oh..." And then, "I'm sorry about that." Gil-galad knew what was behind these words: that all the children of Elrond and Celebrían had by now probably suffered the same fate as Elros once did.</p><p class="western">Celebrían straightened up. "But let's not go there. This is neither the place nor the time for such discussions. So you have your memories back?"</p><p class="western">"I do," Gil-galad confirmed. "Father and mother have found each other again and here I am, ready to conquer the world!"</p><p class="western">They laughed heartily.</p><p class="western">"You have not changed either, <em>sermonya</em>," said Elrond. "Perhaps a little more childlike, though that doesn't make much difference to the past."</p><p class="western">"And now someone says I'm always giving out!"</p><p class="western">"Revenge is necessary!"</p><p class="western">They smiled at each other like little rogues.</p><p class="western">"But come on, tell us how you were after the siege," Gil-galad asked. "Except for the wedding, of course (too bad I wasn't there, that would have been fun). Were you my heir?"</p><p class="western">"Good gracious! By Eru, no!" exclaimed Elrond. "You might have guessed it. I still refused the crown. After a few years, your bloodhounds finally gave up trying to force it on me."</p><p class="western">"You forget to mention that you are not the High King in name, but in your deeds," Celebrian smiled graciously and stabbed him in the back.</p><p class="western">"Celebrían ...", he rebuked her, but she kept smiling and he melted away under her gaze.</p><p class="western">"Aha!", Gil-galad made triumphantly. "Oh, yes!"</p><p class="western">"You can't say it in such a sweeping manner," Elrond tried to keep it quiet. "The Third Age was no longer a time of elves. Many had gone west and few had stayed. Most of them came to me at Imladris. The valley was more or less the last Noldorin realm worthy of the name."</p><p class="western">"At least!" grinned Gil-galad. "I've always told you, you'll go far!"</p><p class="western">"Hmm..." Elrond grumbled vaguely. "Either way, it's all history now. We have this little piece of land here now and that's enough."</p><p class="western">Gil-galad nodded. "Perhaps not that unwise at all. But say, "When I arrived, I saw a gravestone in your garden. Unusual, I find."</p><p class="western">"It belongs to Bilbo," Elrond explained. "He lived with Frodo in our home. It was Frodo's wish that he should be buried there."</p><p class="western">Gil-galad held his tongue for a while, and seemed to think it over. "Even I have heard these names, of them and the Ring War, though all this took place long before this second life. Did you know him well?"</p><p class="western">"More or less," said Elrond. "Bilbo had already lived in Middle-earth for a few years in Imladris, so it was obvious that he could find a home here, too. Besides, as a ring finder, he deserved the honor."</p><p class="western">"You can never quite get away from your roots in Endor," said Gil-galad. "But history is history. A new life begins here."</p><p class="western">"And it begins with an all too happy reunion," confirmed Elrond.</p><p class="western">Celebrían jerked her chair closer to him and leaned on his shoulder. He put one arm around her and one hand on her stomach. Fatherly joys were a wonderful thing. He pressed a kiss on her golden hair. Smiling, she caught his lips and the kiss became deeper.</p><p class="western">"You make a wonderful couple," Gil-galad smiled as they parted again. "But I've been preaching that to you for a long time, too."</p><p class="western">Elrond just waved a smile and pulled Celebrían closer into his arms. Gradually the sun disappeared behind the horizon and silence fell over the land.</p><p class="western">Here in Aman old wounds healed. Was Endor really once his life? It almost seemed like a dream to him and only Aman seemed to be reality.</p>
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